Pumpkin Granola Bars

I love making granola bars and other snacks to have on hand. My kids are always hungry, and we always seem to be on the go! It’s great to have homemade bars that I feel good about eating and sharing with my family. Even the ‘healthy’ bars on the market today are usually loaded with refined sugar and oil. And the most popular bars, especially the ones marketed to kids. . .let’s just say it’s not good! Making them yourself is pretty easy, and they keep for a long time in the fridge or freezer.

I love pumpkin everything in the fall, so I was excited to find this recipe on My Whole Food Life for pumpkin granola bars! I made a couple changes – baking longer to get a crispier bar and I added pumpkin seeds. Other than that, this is her recipe! Love that it is nut-free so it is a perfect snack to send to school with my kids. My whole family loved these (and my kids had fun helping!). Many times in my busy days, the only way to have time for making homemade bars is to involve my kids and make it a fun family activity!

Here’s the recipe:

2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (I like Trader Joe’s)

1/2 cup organic pumpkin (I used canned but if you have fresh, you are awesome!)

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl. (If you don’t have all the spices, try pumpkin pie spice instead!)

Mix wet ingredients in another bowl.

Combine wet and dry ingredients so all the oats get coated.

Line an 8×8 baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving paper sticking out the sides.

Pour the mixture into the pan and press down so it is packed and even.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Set pan on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.

Then cut into 10 bars.

Remove the bars from the pan by holding the parchment paper, and set the parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Return bars to the oven for 8 minutes.

Flip bars, and bake for an additional 8 minutes.

Cool and enjoy!

Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer for longer shelf life.